Complaint of Rs 68 crore fraud filed against CM Siddaramaiah in MLAs/MPs court

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, September 13, 2024: Another private complaint has been lodged against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru, alleging that fraud of Rs 68 crore has been committed against the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). On Friday, senior BJP leader and RTI activist N.R. Ramesh made a complaint seeking the court to grant permission for filing a criminal case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others. He has also made Minister of Energy K.J. George, then Principal Secretary Lakshminarayan, Major P. Manivannan, then Principal Secretary and Manjunath Prasad, then Commissioner of BBMP and others as parties in the case.

He has submitted the memorandum of complaint under Section 223 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which stated, “During the previous term of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from 2013-2018, the complaint was lodged with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Lokayukta agencies against the Siddaramaiah government. The petition is regarding the state government misusing 493 bus shelters owned by the BBMP for promoting the achievements of the Siddaramaiah government without paying the fee of Rs 68.14 crore to the BBMP.”

It further stated that the complaints were filed with the ACB and the Lokayukta, backed by records, alleging that from 2015 to 2017, the Siddaramaiah government used 493 bus shelters of BBMP for promotional activities without paying a single penny as advertisement fees.

BBMP has limited revenue sources such as property tax, map approval fees, trade license fees, road digging fees, and advertisement fees. It spends a minimum of Rs 10,000 crore annually for the salaries of its employees and for further maintenance of parks, street lights, and damaged roads, he maintained. In such a scenario, after complaints were filed with the ACB and Lokayukta, the then Special Commissioner (Finance) of BBMP on July 5, 2017, issued a ‘Demand Notice’ to the then Siddaramaiah-led state government to pay a total amount of Rs 12.98 crore to BBMP. However, the Siddaramaiah government ignored the demand notice, Ramesh alleged.

BBMP, which has limited revenue sources such as property tax, map approval fees, trade license fees, road digging fees, and advertisement fees, spends a minimum of Rs 10,000 crore annually for the salaries of its officials and employees and for the maintenance of parks, street lights, and damaged roads, he further continued.

Ramesh alleged that in such a scenario, after complaints were filed with the ACB and Lokayukta, the then Special Commissioner (Finance) of BBMP on July 5, 2017, issued a ‘Demand Notice’ to the then Siddaramaiah-led state government to pay a total amount of Rs 12.98 crore to BBMP. However, the Siddaramaiah government ignored the demand notice. He also alleged that after Siddaramaiah became the Chief Minister for the second time, under his influence and pressure, the Lokayukta police, without any notification, closed the complaint related to “the scam of Rs 68.14 crore in advertising fees by the Siddaramaiah government to BBMP” on July 26, 2024.

Ramesh stated that despite providing complete records related to this massive scam, the Lokayukta police, allegedly under pressure from CM Siddaramaiah and showing bias, closed the case. Protesting this move, a “private complaint” has been filed in the “Special Court for People’s Representatives.

A Private Complaint Register (PCR) has been filed with the court seeking an “order for investigation” against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others, he further stated.

CM Siddaramaiah is facing allegations in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case and has approached the High Court for relief against Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s order to prosecute him. The court has reserved the matter for order.